Google Dumps Windows for Mac OS and Linux - Over Security Concerns?

submitted on June 10, 2010 by HouTex in "Products / Gadgets", last updated on June 19, 2010 by YanBz

New hires are now given the option of using Apple’s Mac computers or PCs running the Linux operating system. “Linux is open source and we feel good about it,” said one employee. “Microsoft we don’t feel so good about.”

In early January, some new hires were still being allowed to install Windows on their laptops, but it was not an option for their desktop computers.

Google is phasing out the internal use of Microsoft’s ubiquitous Windows operating system because of security concerns, according to several Google employees. We’re not doing any more Windows. It is a security effort,” said one Google employee.

The directive to move to other operating systems began in earnest in January, after Google’s Chinese operations were hacked, and could effectively end the use of Windows at Google, which employs more than 10,000 workers internationally.

Google refuses to comment on policy matters, but several employees spoke to Financial Times.
Google and Microsoft compete on many fronts, from search, to web-based email, to operating systems.